Guard Actuation And Visibility; Kerf Plate Adjustment; Rail Guide Adjustment; Miter Lock Adjustment - DeWalt DW718 Instruction Manual

GUARD ACTUATION AND VISIBILITY
The blade guard on your saw has been designed to auto-
matically raise when the arm is brought down and to lower
over the blade when the arm is raised.
The guard can be raised by hand when installing or
removing saw blades or for inspection of the saw. NEVER
RAISE THE BLADE GUARD MANUALLY UNLESS THE
SAW IS TURNED OFF.
NOTE: Certain special cuts of large material will require
that you manually raise the guard. See page 13.
The front section of the guard is Iouvered for visibility
while cutting. Although the louvers dramatically reduce
flying debris, they are openings in the guard and safety
glasses should be worn at all times when viewing
through the louvers.
KERF PLATE ADJUSTMENT
To adjust the kerf plates, loosen the screws holding the
kerr plates in place. Adjust so that the kerr plates are
as close as possible without interfering with the blade's
movement.
RAIL GUIDE ADJUSTMENT
Periodically check the rails for any play or clearance. The
right rail can be adjusted with the set screw shown in
Figure 4. To reduce clearance, use a 4 mm hex wrench
and rotate the set screw clockwise gradually while sliding
the saw head back and forth. Reduce play while maintain-
ing minimum slide force.
MITER LOCK ADJUSTMENT
The miter lock rod should be adjusted if the table of the
saw can be moved when the miter lock is locked down.
To adjust the miter lock handle, put the miter lock handle
in the up, unlocked position. Using a 13 mm open end
wrench, loosen the lock nut on the miter lock rod (Fig. 10).
Using a slotted screwdriver, tighten the miter lock rod by
turning it clockwise as shown in Figure 10. Turn the lock
rod until it is snug, then turn counterclockwise one turn.
To ensure the miter lock handle is functioning properly,
re-lock the miter lock to a non-detented measurement on
the miter scale - for example, 34 ° - and ensure the table
will not rotate. Tighten lock nut.
FIG, 10
MITER LOCK LOCK NUT
ROD
Brushes
A WARNING: Turn off tool and disconnect from power
source before attempting to move it, changing accesso-
ries or making any adjustments accept as written in laser
adjustment instructions.
Inspect carbon brushes regularly by unplugging tool,
removing the motor end cap (Fig. 4), lift the brush spring
and withdraw the brush assembly. Keep brushes clean
and sliding freely in their guides. Always replace a used
brush in the same orientation in the holder as it was prior
to its removal. Carbon brushes have varying symbols
stamped into their sides, and if the brush is worn down
to approximately 1/2" (12.7 mm), the spring will no lon-
ger exert pressure and they must be replaced. Use only
identical DEWALT brushes. Use of the correct grade of
brush is essential for proper operation of electric brake.
New brush assemblies are available at DEWALT service
centers. The tool should be allowed to "run in" (run at no
load) for 10 minutes before use to seat new brushes. The
electric brake may be erratic in operation until the brushes
are properly seated (worn in). Always replace the brush
inspection cap after inspection or servicing the brushes.
While "running in" DO NOT TIE, TAPE, OR OTHERWISE
LOCK THE TRIGGER SWITCH ON. HOLD BY HAND
ONLY.
Controls
Your compound miter saw has several main controls,
which will be discussed briefly here. For more information
on these controls, see the respective sections earlier in
the manual.
MITER CONTROL (FIG. 7)
The miter adjustment/lock handle and detent trigger allows
you to miter your saw to 60 left and 50 right. To miter the
saw, lift the miter adjustment/lock handle, push the miter
latch button and set the set the miter angle desired on the
miter scale. Push down on the lock handle to lock the saw
table in place.
TRIGGER SWITCH
The trigger switch (Fig. 4) turns your saw on and off. A
hole is provided in the trigger for insertion of a padlock to
secure the saw.
MITER LATCH OVERRIDE (FIG. 7)
The miter latch override allows your saw to override
the common stop angles. To override the common stop
angles, push the miter latch button and flip the miter latch
override lever to the vertical position.
BEVEL CONTROL (FIG. 8)
The bevel latch levers and bevel lock handle allow you to
bevel the saw to 48 ° left and right. Your saw has two bevel
latch levers, one on either side of the rear support housing.
Only one needs to be used to move the bevel to either
direction. The bevel lock handle is on top of the rear sup-
port housing. To bevel the saw, loosen the bevel lock han-
die. Lift one of the levers to approximately 45 o and set the
bevel angle desired on the bevel scale. Two bevel scales
are provided for convenience. Lock the bevel lock handle
to lock the bevel in place. The bevel latch levers can be
lifted vertically to override the common stop angles.
The bevel lock handle is designed to have a limited rotation
amount. The handle can be reoriented to compensate for
normal wear. The bevel lock handle should be reoriented
if the bevel of the saw can be moved when the bevel
lock handle is tightened. To adjust the bevel lock handle,
remove the screw in the center of the handle. Carefully
pry off the handle using a flat bladed screwdriver. Reorient
and install the handle such that it will hold the bevel when
tightened. Install and tighten screw.
RAIL LOCK KNOB (FIG. 4)
The rail lock knob allows you to lock the saw head firmly
to keep it from sliding on the rails. This is necessary when
making certain cuts or when transporting the saw.
GROOVING STOP (FIG. 4)
The grooving stop allows for groove cutting. Flipping the
lever toward the front of the saw and adjusting the thumb-
screw changes the depth of the groove cut. Flipping the
lever toward the rear of the saw bypasses the grooving
stop.
HEAD DOWNLOCK PIN (FIG. 4)
To lock the saw head in the down position, push the head
down, push the pin in and release the saw head. This will
hold the saw head safely down for moving the saw from
place to place. To release, press the saw head down and
pull the pin out.
Operation
Plug the saw into any household 60 Hz power source.
Refer to the nameplate for voltage. Be sure the cord will
not interfere with your work.
SWITCH
To turn the saw on, depress the trigger switch. To turn the
tool off, release the switch. Allow the blade to spin up to full
operating rpm before making the cut. Release the trigger
switch and allow the brake to stop the blade before raising
the saw head. There is no provision for locking the switch
on, but a hole is provided in the trigger for insertion of a
padlock to lock the saw off.
CUTTING WITH YOUR SAW
If the slide feature is not used, ensure the saw head is
pushed back as far as possible and the rail lock knob is
tightened. This will prevent the saw from sliding along its
rails as the workpiece is engaged.
NOTE: Although this saw will cut wood and many non-
ferrous materials, we will limit our discussion to the cutting
of wood only. The same guidelines apply to the other
materials. DO NOT CUT FERROUS (IRON AND STEEL)
MATERIALS OR MASONRY WITH THIS SAW. Do not
use any abrasive blades.